Today's adventure: Why Single Track Will Eliminate Amtrak Delays!
We start today's adventure with our hero, the lovable Tuch (had to come up
with something here) and and his trusty Conductor Charlie listed for 0800
hours for GLME-06. Again, you know the day is starting out to be really bad
when you get to the yard before your power does. Yesterday's MEGL outlawed
well short of Glenn and RGL-05 was given the honors catching the dog and
bringing him home. But alas, the evil hours of service (HOS), bain to
railroad managers everywhere, slashed out at them and ended their railroad
lives for another day. RGL-01 to the rescue. They boarded "at the window"
(meaning the window to the clerk's office at Glenn) and finished yarding the
train twice dead train.
Once the power was brought back around, it had to be fueled. And they were
thirsty too. The Glenn fuel pad can only fuel one unit at a time, so it took
even longer.
When all was said and done, we finally departed behind Amtrak 300 at 0940.
He had a "Pepsi Can" leading F40 #362. They still soldier on. We took with
us the 1018/1020 and 63x41, 9216 tons and 6100 feet. They were happy to see
us finally leave. And who said "parting is such sweet sorrow"? We lumbered
our way along to Bridgeport making the customary pause at Brighton Park to
acknowledge the stop sign (and preserve the certification). No delay here
this AM as the only other train in sight was a dead TV train on Conrail's (I
know, NS's) CR&I, with no crew aboard. That wicked hours of service again.
He's everywhere he's everywhere! This guy had a PRR SD60I and two NS units.
At Bridgeport we waited for 11 minutes as the world's greatest Dispatcher
ran a hyrail truck first. CPGL was another victim of that dastardly HOS
there. His train was parked on the Storage Track, known in happier times as
the GM&O southbound with the 1023/1036 and 110 or so cars. RGL-01 was
enroute to play cavalry here too. A 10 minute stop at 21st St while Amtrak
RoadRailers hung out across the plant.
As we came around 18th St curve, we saw the tribute to Walter Payton
starting. Lots of folks paying tribute to a tremendous athlet and person.
The line outside was incredible. We could see video footage of his career
being shown on the Diamond Matrix screen there.
We were then non-stop to Homewood. While passing underneath the MoPac south
of Kensington, it was double barrel northbound action there. A CSX van train
being lead by a Dash 8 and two RMGX (in full CN colors) GP40W's and along
side of it, a MoPac train with an assortment of UP, SP and CNW power. While
passing Wildwood, we observed the Recycle Job with IC 1491 and GTW 5807. At
Harvey was WC T219 leaving with a 7500 series SD45R and the 3027 resplendent
with the flags of most of those foreign countries that WC operates
railroads in.
Upon our 1155 arrival at Homewood we spotted RMK-10 working with the
6124/6251/6112. When we shoved in at Homewood, NS W18 went north with the NS
7032 and a Dash 9 and grain empties. GCG2RS-06 went south with the
1000/1028/6100 and 100 loads of export grain heading to Reserve, LA. After
doing the setout and pick-up thing and the required airtest, the real fun
began. The Conductor was given bad paperwork. It showed us with 91 cars. We
had 140. A few phone and radio calls later, he gets a new list with most,
but not all of the Kankakee cars. More calls and delays later, we finally
get all the legal stuff. I pulled up to get out of the way so that the rest
of the railroad could function while we waited for all the festivities of
paperwork for this paperless railroad to be completed. I passed MEGL who was
patiently waiting to get in. He had the 1012/1029 and a good 120 or so cars.
When all was said and done, we departed at 1515 and I picked Charlie up by
the Olympia Fields Metra station. We had the Kankakee cars today as there
was no LCHHE (Markham Local) as there were no Engineers. (Still trying to
prove we can run a railroad with no people!)
We now were the proud owners of 82x58, 11104 tons and 8831 feet of train.
Not bad for only 3hrs 20 min worth of work and delay at Markham.
Now comes the real fun. Upon our arrival at Kankakee, we get to wait for
GLCE and Amtrak 391 to run around us before we can do our work. We pulled
down and made a cut and waited for them to catch us. This single track is
really paying great dividends. While waiting, an eastbound Conrail (I'm
still having trouble with this split-up thing) went across KX with the NS
6079/NREX 5058/PRR 3065. We spent an hour waiting for him, GLCE and 391 to
get out of our way, set out 32x18 and finally depart ourselves. We now had
50x40, 7042, 5653 feet.
We met NS 318 at Gar Creek (he had been there for some two hours before we
got there). He had the NS 5184/32xx and a scale test car on the rear that
restricted him to 25 mph. His lucky day for sure! He was only good until
2100 before the that henchman HOS would take his life too. We passed him
around 1730. He still had IO-1 and the dreaded land of Chicago North to deal
with.
At 1755, we stopped at Danforth behind 391 who was stopped behind GLCE who
was in emergency. GLCE had 128 cars and the air wasn't coming back up. His
Conductor had to walk the train, and this would take forever. This
particular individual I refer to as "the human rain delay" as it takes him
forever just to even get ready to start walking. CPCH was sitting waiting
for the parade on #2 track at Gilman, so nowhere to get 391 around GLCE once
he got going again. When our portion of the parade began moving at 1820, 391
was nestled away nicely between us. We were on his block all the way to Loda
as he was on GLCE's block. Whe GLCE cleared at Paxton, 391 got the "merald
eye and took off in a flash. The powers that be had him follow GLCE to
Paxton instead of trying a "double shuffle" at Gilman. They blew this
opportunity when they ran us up behind him instead of putting us in the
siding at Ashkum to get CPCH north when things began to move again.
I now remind Chicago South that we are starting to get low on sand in hours
of service glass. He asks how far we think we can make it. I tell him
Leverett Jct if the "Good Lord's willing and the river don't rise." We
scream by GLCE at Paxton who is now lower on the totem pole than we are. (I
didn't think anything got lower than GLME either). The Ludlow defect
detector says I'm doing 60 mph and that is good. Chicago South checks back
wit us to see how we're doing and if we'll still make it to Leverett. I tell
him with no more delays, we can make the yard office. Being that this is a
lost day for both Amtrak 391 and 392, the decision is made to lose even more
performance money on them and make sure we beat the nasty HOS to Champaign.
392 is held at Leverett Jct for us. We come screaming into town at 30 mph as
there is a speed restriction over Ford-Harris Road just north of the
Junction. To help even more, we have to head into the yard as a crewless
grain train sits on the main and 392 awaits on the siding. Stop to line a
few switches and head on in at 10 mph.
We came to a stop at 1955 hrs. We had looked the evil HOS in the eyes and
won! All those folks on 392 weren't too pleased though I'm sure. I think I
saw one them telling me "I'm #1", although they were probably thinking I was
more like #2.
When the IC first announced they were going to single track the entire route
from Chicago to New Orleans, the press releases all stated the fact that
this would be good for Amtrak movements as they would be able to route
Amtrak around the slower moving freights. This was certain to eliminate any
delays and Amtrak would most assuredly always be on time. They failed to
mention though, what happened when Amtrak got stuck behind trains that
weren't moving at all. Or when the wicked and dreaded hours of service
reared his ugly head again. I'll bet computer simulations never dreamed that
these would ever happen at all. They are probably not allowed to even
consider it; not even briefly. Or, for that matter, failures in motive power
either.
"That does not compute."
Be sure to tune in for our next exciting adventure: "Communication is the
key!"
Tuch
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